On Computers

VEGAS ELECTRONICS SHOW FEATURES FLYING MOPED, SOLAR UMBRELLA

Posted on January 19th, 2025 by Joy Schwabach

Here are some of the strangest and most amazing things to come out of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this month. Ride and Fly A flying moped is coming to a driveway near you in 2026. You could be pedaling one moment and taking off into the air the next. The Rictor Skyrider X1 flies at a maximum speed of 62 miles per hour for 40 minutes. Thanks to artificial intelligence, it takes off and lands on its own and plans the optimal route. According to the company, it lands safely even if an engine fails, in which case, a parachute pops out. Thank goodness for AI. Without it, I might smash into the top of a skyscraper. […]

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KID TECH

Posted on December 9th, 2024 by Joy Schwabach

For her 11th birthday, my niece got a $36 Bluetooth speaker that plays music, lights up in multiple colors and calls her friends. The Hetyre Night Light Bluetooth Speaker is a 6-inch tall reading lamp, nightlight, music player and alarm clock. My niece said the alarm woke her up with the sound of birds. “My parents thought there were birds outside fighting,” she said. “It sounded like a battle.” She figured out all the features without reading the manual or asking her parents for help. For the toddler crowd, there’s the PlayMonster “OK to Wake,” $20 on Amazon. It has multiple colors, five levels of brightness and turns green when it’s okay to get out of bed. I first heard […]

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WE’RE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD FREEBIES

Posted on April 23rd, 2012 by Joy Schwabach

Recently, PC Magazine did a round-up of “The Best Free Software of 2012.” After trying several of these, Joy’s computer wouldn’t start. We finally had to abandon their “Best” list. The take-home lesson: Beware of freebies unless they’re from companies you’ve heard of or have been recommended by those you trust.

Filed under: apps, free stuff, Linux, troubleshooting | 1 Comment »

THE LINUX COMMAND LINE

Posted on March 11th, 2012 by Joy Schwabach

According to the Linux Foundation, 81 percent of recruiters say that hiring workers who know the Linux operating system is a priority. Seems unlikely to us, but we’ll swallow it for the moment. We’re not sure which recruiters they’re talking to, but it wouldn’t hurt to get up to speed. “The Linux Command Line” by William Shotts Jr., $50 from nostarch.com, is the right book for that.

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